Freewheeling clutch



A. MAIER May 14, 1935.

Filed Nov. 29, 1955 Patented May 14, 1935 UNIT ED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE I I 2,001,668 'FREEWHEELING CLUTCH Albert Maier, Friedrichshafen, Germany, assignor to Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen Aktien-- gesellschaft, Friedrichshafen, Bodensee, Germany Application'November 29, 1933, Serial No. 700,201

' In Germany, December 12, 1932 1 Claim. (Cl. 19248) My invention relates tofree-wheeling clutches,

and has special-reference to clutches of this kind which are inserted between the driving shaft and.

the propeller. shaft of motor vehicles for the purpose of allowing free-wheeling of the car on even slope it may be necessary to cut oil the free-wheel-' ing device and to have a rigid driving connection again so as to be able to use the motor for braking purposes. This driving connection is also necessary for reversing the car drive.

According to my invention I improve these conditions by providing a new kind of free-wheeling clutch. The main object of the'new clutch is that it'is adapted to cause a rigid driving connection in both directions, forward and backward-and that also free-wheeling conditions in forward driving direction may be set, if desired. This will be understood best when having reference to the drawing which represents an example embodying my invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section 'of a free-wheeling clutch, taken on line l-l of Fig. 2, showing the elements in both way driving conditions.

Fig. 2 in its-upper portion is a longitudinal vertical section through the clutch taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and in its lower portion it is a side view of the clutch. f

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the elements in the free-wheeling conditions.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the teeth on the end of the driving shaft in side view. The driving shaft is designated by the numeral ll, whereas I2 is the driven shaft, which is jour naled with its end within a recess of the ring-like end 2| of shaft l I. The outer portion-of the end of shaft I2 is shaped into a sleeve 22. Between the members 2| and 22 there are inserted rollers I3 and I4. The inner circumferential surface of sleeve 22 forms a smooth circle, whereas the outer circumference of member 2| is polygonal. There are wedge-shaped surfaces l5 for rollers l3 and in the other direction. wedge-shaped surfaces l6 for rollers l4. Springs I! serve for pressing rollers I3 into the narrower space between surfaces l5 and the inner surface of sleeve 22 and rollers I4 into the narrower space between surfaces [6 and the inner surface of sleeve 22. Thus, when mem' ber 2| is driven in either direction of rotation sleeve 22 and shaft l2 rotate also, as shown in Fig. 1.

Furthermore, there is'an annular member l8 having projections 28 projecting into the space between the rollers l3 and I4. Member l8 at its inner circumference has, inclined teeth 38 fitting into gapsbetween corresponding teeth 3| on the outer circumference of the'end of shaft |I.

Consequently, if member I8 is shifted in the direction of the common axis of both shafts by means of fork I9 the relative position of .projections 28 with regard to the wedge-shaped surfaces l5 and I6 is altered. By such means it is pos-- sible to press on rollers M in anti-clockwise direction and to move them a little in this direction into the wider portion of the wedge-shaped space just. enough to cause disengagement between sleeve 22, rollers l4 and wedge-shaped surfaces I6 so that sleeve 22 may overrun member 2|, assuming that shaft |2 for example beconnected to the propeller shaft of a car rolling I on after the motor connected to shaft II was reduced in speed or stopped. The conditions then prevailing are represented in Fig. 3.

Under the usual driving conditions as represented in Fig. 1 the rollers'l3 and M are apt to come to comparatively close connection with the adjacent surfaces so'that it becomes diflicult to move rollers M by means of projections 28. Therefore a loose cage 20 is provided 11m1tmg the maximum distance between rollers l3 and I4.

I do not want to be limited to the detailsdescribed or shown in the drawing as many variations will occur to those skilled'in the art.

. What I claim is:

A-free-wheeling clutch comprising: an inner rotatory member; an outer rotatory member; rollas between said members; one of said rotatory members having a smooth annular surface fac ing said other rotatory member; the other one of said rotatory members having wedge-shaped surfaces,- half of said wedge-shaped surfaces being inclined in clock-wise direction, the other half being inclined in anti-clock-wise direction; springs inserted in every otherspace between two adjacent rollers of said rollers, said springs being adapted' to press said rollers upward along the slope of said wedge-shaped surfaces so as to cause driving connection between both said rotatory members in both driving directions; members projecting between said rollers, and means for moving said projecting members in annular direction, thereby pressing every other one of said rollers downward the slope of-the respective wedge-shaped surfaces and a loose cage inserted between said rollers, adapted to limit the maximum distance between every pair of said rollers pressed apart bysaid springs.

* 'ALBERT'MAIER. 

